


Snapshot

by Huggle



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bully Lucifer, Bully Michael, Fledgling Castiel, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Gabriel, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Protective Castiel, Protective Gabriel, Protective Sam Winchester, Young Gabriel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 06:43:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6645643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huggle/pseuds/Huggle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam has questions about Heaven, about Gabriel's past.  Sometimes it's easier to show than tell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snapshot

**Author's Note:**

> So this is me starting to gather all my old fics - unpublished and those lurking in some dark corner of the net somewhere - all in one place (cross posting to my fic journal and here. There's still time to run.

“You don’t have to,” Sam says. He’s already feeling guilty, wishing he’d kept his mouth shut.

Gabriel shrugs. “We both know you’ll worry this like a hungry little mutt, Sam,” the archangel says, but a kiss steals away the sting of his words. “Might as well get it over with.”

And the hell of it is, he’s right. Sam’s always wondered about Heaven. He wants to know that his family – his parents, Jess – are happy there (safe there since now he also has to worry at them being used against him and Dean). But he always wants to know more of Gabriel, so vital when it seems like Gabriel needs only a look to know all of him.

Then the room shifts, and it’s so radiant that Sam has to shield his eyes with his hand until they grow accustomed.

When they do, what he sees tightens like a vice around his chest.

There’s no mistaking the little boy kneeling in the middle of the floor for anyone other than Gabriel. Sam feels a surge of pleasure at the thought that he knows this, even if this is before any Winchester ever walked the Earth. 

But as astonishing as it is to see Gabriel like this, it’s the tiny bundle in his arms that makes him stand there gaping like an idiot.

Just as there’s no way the angel boy is anyone but Gabriel, there can be no doubt the dark haired baby staring with obvious awe at his big brother is anybody but Castiel. Cas. Their angel.

“Gabriel,” Sam starts, but the room doors fly open suddenly, and two older boys come in. They’re maybe eight to Gabriel’s five, and Sam knows he’s attributing human ages to these angels, but it occurs to him that Gabriel is representing this in the easiest way for his human senses to process. He doubts Cas was ever a 6 month old blue eyed little bundle of joy.

Or maybe he was. Who knows?

“We want to hold Castiel,” one of the boys says. There’s a certainty in the way he holds out his arms, like it hasn’t occurred to him that he might be refused.

_Michael_ , Sam thinks. He sees now that as much as Dean’s constant refusal to be Michael’s vessel must have pissed Zachariah off royally, that’s probably nothing compared to how it must have driven Michael nuts.

“No,” Gabriel says. He hugs Castiel tighter to him. “You’re too rough.”

The second boy slips an arm around Gabriel’s shoulders. “Come on, Gabriel. He’s our brother too. You don’t think we’ll hurt him, do you?”

Sam can see Gabriel looking from one of them to the other. He wants to storm in there, scoop both the little boy and the baby into his arms, keep them safe from the other two, but he knows it’s pointless. This is all in the past, already happened, but still Sam wishes he wasn’t watching this.

But Gabriel wants him to know.

Michael moves first, making a dive to snatch Castiel out of Gabriel’s arms, as Lucifer tries to hold Gabriel’s arm and prevent him resisting.

“No,” Gabriel cries. He tries to fend them off, but Sam knows what it’s like to fight with your older brother before a growth spurt evens the odds. And Castiel is Gabriel’s handicap here. 

Suddenly, Gabriel’s hand closes over Sam’s eyes, but the light floods between the archangel’s fingers feeling like a searing heat as it touches Sam’s skin. He hears cries of pain and fear, and then Gabriel drops his hand away.

The younger Gabriel is sniffling a little in the middle of the floor. His loose white clothes are torn, and there’s a tiny trickle of blood from his nose. But it’s Castiel. Castiel is hovering over Gabriel’s head, his wings fluttering furiously, tiny sparks of power darting over his body. His little fists are clenched, and it’s ridiculously cute but somehow – somehow – Sam can’t help but take a step back, because even as a baby Cas clearly was born to smite.

Lucifer and Michael are nowhere to be seen, but there are a few singed feathers lying on the ground.

Cas flops down into Gabriel’s arms, and tiny fingers pat his older brother’s cheek.

“He never did know when to cut and run,” Gabriel says. “Nothing changes.”

Sam nods his agreement. “And we’d be out of luck if he had.”

The room shifts again, and they’re back at the motel. Gabriel pushes Sam flat on the bed and wriggles until Sam lifts his arm, so that Gabriel can slip underneath it and put his head on Sam’s chest. 

Sam threads his fingers through Gabriel’s hair, feeling like he should say something, but he’s pretty sure Gabriel’s been around long enough that whatever Sam could say he’s probably heard a billion times before.

Instead, he leans down enough to plant a kiss on Gabriel’s forehead. “At least we know two decent angels,” he manages finally.

Gabriel gives a sigh that sounds both amused and derisive at the same time. “But only one with flair.”


End file.
